NameCensus.

UK surname

Drayson

In the 1881 census there were 222 people recorded with the Drayson surname, ranking it #12,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 274, ranked #15,759, down from #12,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Woodnesborough and Ramsgate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Forest, Chichester and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drayson is 320 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.4%.

1881 census count

222

Ranked #12,022

Modern count

274

2016, ranked #15,759

Peak year

1911

320 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drayson had 222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 274 in 2016, ranked #15,759.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 320 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Drayson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Drayson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Drayson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drayson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 167 #11,936
1861 historical 207 #11,687
1881 historical 222 #12,022
1891 historical 281 #11,630
1901 historical 299 #11,673
1911 historical 320 #10,932
1997 modern 287 #13,912
1998 modern 287 #14,289
1999 modern 297 #14,053
2000 modern 291 #14,200
2001 modern 289 #14,069
2002 modern 295 #14,146
2003 modern 302 #13,752
2004 modern 295 #14,025
2005 modern 283 #14,343
2006 modern 273 #14,804
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 272 #15,152
2009 modern 268 #15,620
2010 modern 279 #15,529
2011 modern 285 #15,140
2012 modern 280 #15,248
2013 modern 291 #15,067
2014 modern 285 #15,416
2015 modern 281 #15,457
2016 modern 274 #15,759

Geography

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Where Draysons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Woodnesborough, Ramsgate and St Paul. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Forest, Chichester, Tonbridge and Malling, Stockport and Wiltshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Woodnesborough Kent
3 Ramsgate Kent
4 St Paul Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Forest 012 New Forest
2 Chichester 005 Chichester
3 Tonbridge and Malling 014 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Stockport 004 Stockport
5 Wiltshire 046 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drayson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Drayson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drayson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Drayson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Drayson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Drayson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Drayson is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Drayson is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Drayson falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Drayson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Drayson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Drayson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drayson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 129 Draysons recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.38x.

County Total Index
Kent 129 17.38x
Middlesex 47 2.16x
Surrey 25 2.36x
Hampshire 9 2.02x
Suffolk 4 1.51x
Sussex 3 0.82x
Devon 2 0.44x
Somerset 2 0.57x
Essex 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 3.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milton In Gravesend in Kent leads with 17 Draysons recorded in 1881 and an index of 152.74x.

Place Total Index
Milton In Gravesend 17 152.74x
Newington 16 19.91x
Canterbury St Paul 15 1127.82x
Woodnesborough 15 2205.88x
Margate St John Baptist 11 80.94x
Sandwich St Peter 10 1282.05x
St Lawrence 10 196.08x
Mile End Old Town London 9 19.44x
Ash Next Sandwich 8 487.80x
Lambeth 8 4.22x
St Pancras London 8 4.57x
Islington London 7 3.32x
Ramsgate 6 49.55x
Great Mongeham 5 1428.57x
St George Hanover Square 5 13.04x
Wingham 5 581.40x
Canterbury St Mary 4 80.32x
Gorleston 4 59.44x
Hornsey 4 14.54x
Maidstone 4 18.09x
Sandwich St Mary 4 597.01x
Shoreditch London 4 4.24x
Southampton All Sts 4 52.29x
Bethnal Green London 3 3.17x
Hastings St Mary 3 32.86x
Niton 3 500.00x
Preston Next Wingham 3 909.09x
St Marylebone London 3 2.58x
Canterbury St Mary N 2 400.00x
Deal 2 31.60x
Northfleet 2 30.58x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 5.73x
Sandwich St Clement 2 317.46x
Camberwell 1 0.72x
Canterbury St Gregory 1 102.04x
Clevedon 1 27.47x
Fordingbridge 1 41.32x
Greenwich 1 2.89x
Hammersmith London 1 1.87x
Hampstead London 1 2.95x
Pitminster 1 97.09x
Poplar London 1 2.44x
Royal Navy 1 4.51x
Walmer 1 30.96x
Walthanstow 1 140.85x
Westminster St James 1 4.47x
Whitwell 1 188.68x
Woolwich 1 3.65x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Drayson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Drayson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 15
Charles 9
William 8
George 7
Thomas 6
Daniel 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
Henry 4
James 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Valentine 2
A. 1
Berners 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Chas.A. 1
Chas.Dupin 1
Dick 1
Douglas 1
Edwd. 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk.G. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Jas.G. 1
Jno. 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Val 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Drayson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drayson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 222 people were recorded with the Drayson surname. That placed it at #12,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drayson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 274 in 2016. That gives Drayson a modern rank of #15,759.

What does the Drayson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Drayson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.